Saturday, December 26, 2009

2009 Season in Review

I'd like to start off this blog by saying I hope everybody enjoyed their Christmas Day celebrations. Hopefully the weather didn't affect your plans too much this Holiday season.

My 2009 race season was another wild and exciting season. I didn't think there was any way I could top the 2008 season I experienced, but I was wrong. Of course the first thing that happened to me in 2009 was receiving a phone call from Jeff Broeg, asking me if I wanted to be a part of the Positivelyracing.com "staff". I agreed after taking some time to think it over.

I kicked off the 2009 season much the same way I did in 2008, with visits to Abilene, Texas in February and then in McCool Junction, Nebraska the first weekend in March. Trips to Humboldt (Kansas), West Plains (Missouri), and Beatrice (Nebraska) finished up March.

The racing season in Iowa got kicked off in April with frostbusters at Marshalltown and Burlington the first weekend. I made my first ever visit to 24 Raceway in Moberly, Missouri during this month for a USMTS race while also visiting Adrian Speedway in Missouri for an MLRA late model show.

May saw first visits to the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland (Missouri), US 30 Speedway in Columbus (Nebraska), and Raceway Park in Jefferson (South Dakota).

June's highlights included a mini trip into South Dakota. I followed the USMTS series to Park Jefferson Speedway (Jefferson, SD), Casino Speedway (Watertown, SD), and Huset's Speedway (Brandon, SD). Casino and Huset's were first-time visits for me.

More first-time visits were made in July as I attended a weekly show at Dubuque and Corning. Later in the month I made an inaugural visit to the Elko (MN) Speedway. The asphalt track brought in truck loads of dirt for their "Dirt Nationals", an event that saw the USMTS series along with IRA Sprint Cars.

Highlights of August begin with my first-ever trip to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin. I attended the final night of the USA Nationals late model event that saw home-state hero Jimmy Mars take the lead on lap 48 and take home the big money. August was also the month in which the USMTS Hunt For the Championship began in Missouri. I visited the Monett (MO) Speedway along with the Caney Valley Speedway (Caney, KS) within a few days on a six-day USMTS swing. I also ventured up to the newly re-designed Mississippi Thunder Speedway, formerly known as the Tri-Oval Speedway, in Fountain City, Wisconsin. The track used to be a tri-oval, but owner Bob Timm transformed it into a 3/8-mile oval.

September saw me attend every night of the IMCA Supernationals in Boone again this year. In the middle of the month I ventured north to the North Central Speedway in Brainerd for a couple of USMTS events before seeing them race again at the Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota. That event saw Jason Hughes nip Terry Phillips at the line on the final night, and also saw Kelly Shryock be crowned the national champion for the ninth time. September was memorable for me as I had traveled to all 18 of the USMTS Hunt races, something very few can probably say.

October was a difficult month weather-wise. Many of my plans got changed, so I was constantly looking for "backup plans". The Knoxville Late Model Nationals was reduced to a one-day show on a Sunday this year, which saw Scott Bloomquist win it for the second time. The second weekend of the month, the races in Oskaloosa got "SNOWED OUT", so I made the quick decision to go north and hit a race in Wisconsin. Go figure, right!?! October also saw long-distance, first-ever trips to Hays (Kansas) and Muskogee (Oklahoma).

November saw me visiting the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri for the first time in a couple years. The weekend before Thanksgiving saw me travel south to Highlands, Texas for what was supposed to be a three-day USMTS show. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and only one show was able to be run. I checked out the internet to see if there were any other races I could hit on the way home. Sure enough there was. I headed out at 4am Saturday morning and made it to Cleveland, Tennessee to catch a Southern All-Stars late model race. On that trip I traveled through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and a little bit of Georgia for the first time ever. Then on the way home from there I traveled through Kentucky for the first time. Definitely a memorable trip!!

December was supposed to cap off my season at the Houston Raceway Park with a three-day USMTS show. It would crown their Southern Series Hunt champion. Unfortunately that weekend saw the earliest SNOWFALL in the Houston area and only one race was run. That one event proved to be note-worthy though, as Jason Hughes took home the win and eclipsed Kelly Shryock's slim lead to win the championship. USMTS officials have rescheduled those two days for February, but will be part of the 2010 season.

I capped off my 2009 season at Kemper Arena the weekend before Christmas with the Bull Ring Midget Nationals. Those who know me know that I'm not a sprint car/midget fan by any stretch of the imagination. I was curious to see how the event was run and see what it was like. It was definitely unique!

Here are my 2009 stats:

156 races
62 different tracks
25 new tracks (I'd never been to before)
11 different states
43,194 miles traveled (almost 34,440 on my car)
22 rainouts/cancellations

For those interested in seeing EXACTLY where I ventured to this year, you can check out my personal website at http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net and click on the "Kevin's 2009 races" on the left-hand side. You can see a month-by-month breakdown or a composite listing, along with results from most events.

This will likely be the last blog entry for me in 2009. With that being said, I'd like to wish everybody a safe New Year's Eve celebration along with a Happy New Year!!

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Monday, December 21, 2009

2009 Bull Ring Midget Nationals

I made my first-ever trip to Kemper Arena for the running of the Bull Ring Midget Nationals on Dec. 18-19. It was the second year for this event, and from the sounds of it things were dramatically improved from a year ago. Listening to what others had to say, the ventilation was much better this year as was the racing surface. Officials were able to keep a cushion on the top side so that the racers didn't have to "follow the leader" around the inside.

Along with midgets, dwarf cars/mod-lites and Lightning Winged Sprints were on the card. Four mod-lite drivers from Iowa made the trek to Kansas City to experience some fun. I don't recall off hand how Friday night turned out, but all four were up front in the Saturday feature. Johnny Murdock was running in second when the leader spun, handing him the reigns up front. He would get passed by the eventual winner, but as luck would have it he spun in turn four on the final lap and collected fellow Iowa driver Mike Kennedy. Randy Bryant finished in third while Dusty Masolini came home fifth.

Not only was this my first trip to Kemper Arena, but it was also the first race in which the midgets were the headlining class. I'm not much of a sprint car or midget fan, so therefore I was completely out of my comfort zone. I did recognize a few names, which helped me enjoy the show.

Bryan Clauson and Brad Loyet sat on the front row when the green flag waved on Friday night for the thirty-lap feature event. It would be Loyet grabbing the checkers and taking home the $5,000 payday.

Saturday night saw Danny Lasoski and Brad Loyet on the front row. Loyet got the early lead and maintained his lead ahead of the similarly looking Lasoski car. Over the forty lap race, Lasoski continued to put pressure on Loyet but couldn't make the pass stick as he tried to use the slingshot move in the corners. Loyet proved to be too strong as he took home the win again, this time bagging a cool $10,000 for his efforts.

This was also my first race indoors. I've watched go-kart races at Waterloo or last year at the Battle at the Barn in Des Moines, but nothing like what I saw over the weekend. It was a different, but fun atmosphere. I only had two complaints about the event. First off, I realize it was being held at Kemper Arena, but the concession stand prices were outrageous!! $4.00 for a bottle of water?!! I opted not to buy anything from there and stopped afterwards for something to eat. The other complaint was the amount of time between "sessions" of racing. I realize they wanted to air things out, but Friday night saw lapses of more then an hour between heats and features. I also realize they had scheduled times on the website and perhaps wanted to stick to it, but there isn't much to do other then talk in that amount of time, especially when you couldn't exit the building and re-enter.

Overall it was a fun and new experience. I think it also will bring a curtain down on a memorable 2009 race season for me. Stay tuned as I'll have a 2009 wrapup blog in the near future.

If I don't get that blog before Friday, I'd like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

2010 Deery Brothers Late Models Schedule Released

For many people, me included, the much anticipated release of the 2010 IMCA Deery Brothers late model schedule is upon us. After scheduling a record 22 dates in 2009, the schedule isn't quite as full this year. Series director Kevin Yoder stated that the 2010 schedule will be "user friendly" for the drivers, meaning that "drivers only have to take off about 6 days of work to participate in the whole series." Sixteen stops are on the docket for 2010.

With fewer races, Yoder also hopes that more drivers will be able to compete at all the events, leading up to the series finale at 34 Raceway in Burlington for the Ironman challenge race.

While there are many familiar stops on the schedule, a new track has been added to the list. The Dubuque Speedway in Dubuque will host their first-ever Deery show on Sunday, April 18th. Dubuque's "sister track", the Farley Speedway, will also host an event this year. It is slated for Friday, June 18th. Farley hasn't been on the schedule since 2003.

For a complete rundown, check out www.imca.com/series.php?seriesid=2

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Local Drivers at the Next Level

When flipping through the channels Saturday night, I came across the SPEED channel. The NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series were holding their annual awards ceremonies to culminate the 2009 race season. It was at that point that my uncle reminded me that a local driver, Michael Annett, ran in that series this year.

Michael Annett, a Des Moines native, had a solid rookie season in the NASCAR Nationwide series. Annett finished tenth in the final point standings. While Annett didn't make it to Victory Lane, he did finish with four top-10's in thirty-five starts. His best finish was sixth at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Annett drove for Germain Racing, a team that also yields a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team with Todd Bodine behind the wheel. Annett is just 23 years old.

Another native Iowan, Brett Moffitt, also enjoyed a very successful season. Moffitt finished third in the NASCAR Camping World Series East while also taking home Most Improved Driver honors. In just thirteen starts, Moffitt finished in the top ten eleven times, including two wins and five top-5's. At the young age of 17 Moffitt broke many age-related records in the Camping World East Series, including youngest ever to lead the point standings, youngest pole sitter, and youngest to win a race. Moffitt drives the #44 Andy Santerre Motorsports Chevy Impala. Moffitt also had the opportunity to jump behind the wheel of Win-Tron Racing's ARCA car at Rockingham late in the season. Moffitt had never sat in a seat of an ARCA car and had never been at the Rockingham track, but that didn't phase the teenager as went home with a tenth place finish.

Another notable dirt track racer, Steve Arpin, also finished his rookie season in the ARCA series. He finished seventh in the final point standings on the strength of eleven top-10's. His best finish was a fourth-place at Pocono Raceway. Arpin is perhaps most noted as a driver of a dirt modified. Some of his accomplishments on dirt include winning the 2007 Florida Speedweeks UMP modifieds Nationals, winning the IMCA Dakota Tour championship in '07, Featherlite Fall Jamboree modified champion in '06, and winning the Wissota 100 at the Cedar Lake Speedway in 2002.

While many dirt track racing enthusiasts may not like asphalt racing much (I'm included in that group), it is neat to see many drivers from the local area and with dirt backgrounds make it to the next level. Obviously drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Ryan Newman have been extremely successful as well. But the success that Annett and Moffitt have attained so far, from the small state of Iowa, goes to show that the state does have talented drivers. They just need a little recognition to get to the next level.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Jason Hughes Pilots to Victory at Winternationals

Jason Hughes came into last night's event at Houston Raceway Park trailing Kelly Shryock by eight points in the USMTS Southern Series point standings with three races remaining. But when all was said and done last night, Hughes picked up a win and took over the point lead with two races left on the slate.

While neither driver made the redraw, both were able to qualify out of the heat races via passing points. Hughes started ninth with Shryock on his rear bumper in eleventh. Randy Timms led the first lap after starting on the pole, but he was soon challenged by Sam Haftertepe, a regular late model pilot. Haftertepe gained command of the race on lap four as he dove to the inside of Timms. Meanwhile, Shryock and Hughes were making their way forward with Shryock advancing to third. A caution flag came out, allowing Jason Hughes to get a great restart and get by Shryock and Timms to snag the third spot.

Ryan Gustin, who finished second in the National Tour Hunt this season, also made the trip south for his first ever Southern Series event. Gustin finished second to Hughes in his heat race and easily won one of three b-main events. Gustin started eighteenth on the grid, but he quickly used every line en route to the front. By around lap eight Gustin had already advanced to the top ten. Hughes and Shryock engaged in a heated battle for the runner up spot before another caution flag waved. Hughes would take advantage of the yellow as he got by Haftertepe on the restart to take command of the race. Howard Willis, the USMTS Southern Series race winner two weeks ago at Battleground Speedway near Highlands, was also on the move as he raced under Jon Tesch for the fourth position. However, his luck would run out as he spun in turn one. As luck would have it, Dereck Ramirez was unable to avoid Willis and clipped his front bumper on the way by, sending Ramirez in a "gentle" roll.

At that point, Hughes was leading the way ahead of Haftertepe, Shryock, Tesch, Rodney Sanders, and Gustin. Gustin's good run would end early as he suffered a left rear flat tire. He was running fifth at the time. Haftertepe would also be a victim of bad luck as he spun in turn four late in the race, giving up the runner up spot. Bumper Jones, involved in a wreck early in the race, did a great job of recovering as he rebounded nicely to finish seventh. But up front it was all Jason Hughes as he not only took the win, but took over the point lead as well. Jon Tesch finished second, Kelly Shryock third, Rodney Sanders fourth, and Randy Timms rounded out the top five.

1. 12 Jason Hughes
2. 14 Jon Tesch
3. 3 Kelly Shryock
4. 20 Rodney Sanders
5. 5T Randy Timms
6. 33z Zack VanderBeek
7. 111 Bumper Jones
8. E Howard Willis
9. c8 Timothy Culp
10. 9 Shane Hebert
11. 5R Morgan Bagley
12. 88xx Bobby Malchus

Also on the card last night were the limited modifieds. Derek Ross led from the start, but he would lose the handle and spin through the infield to hand the lead over to Shane Hebert. Hebert would hold off challenges from Howard Willis and Paul White to take home the big paycheck ahead of Willis and White.

1. 9 Shane Hebert
2. 461 Howard Willis
3. 216 Paul White

By my count, 73 modifieds and forty limited modifieds were in competition last night. The track did get pretty rough as the night progressed, but that is understandable considering all the rain the Baytown area had received earlier in the week. As I type this blog, snow is coming down. According to the Weather Channel, schools are letting out early and the reporter mentioned the town does not have snowplows. The snow has let up here lately, and I was informed last night that the track crew does everything in their power to get the show in.

Speaking of the track, one of the diehard race fans in attendance last night mentioned that Houston Raceway Park will not be running a weekly show next year. Rather they are going to hold about eight special events throughout the season. That is a shame to hear as Houston Raceway Park is a top-notch facility.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!